Time is flying by and the much-anticipated Passion Play of Oberammergau 2022 will premier in less than two years. The first public performance is set for May 15, 2022, and will run through Sunday, October 2, 2022. The Passion Play is much more than just a play, it’s an internationally-renowned event filled with power, pageantry, beautiful music, and choral accompaniment.
The story of Oberammergau is an incredible tale of faith and a covenant made with God almost 400 years ago. It’s a story of a people who continue to honor the vows made by their ancestors and unite as a village to present an incredible display of love for Our Lord.
A 400-Year Promise
In 1633, the Black Plague was rampaging through Europe, killing thousands. The surviving villagers of the small Bavarian community of Oberammergau made a vow: if God spared them from further deaths, they would perform a Passion Play every 10 years.
According to the story, no one else in the village died. So to fulfill their pledge, the townspeople performed their play for the first time in 1634. Amazingly, Oberammergau has kept that promise to this day, with few exceptions.
In nearly 400 years, the villagers have only broken their vow twice, and it was hardly under their control. The first time was in 1770 when Maximilian III, then Duke of Bavaria, banned all passion plays as part of a campaign against extravagance. The play was also canceled in 1940 because of WWII. With the economic fallout after WWI, the 1920 play was postponed until 1922, and exactly 100 years later, the organizers moved it from May 2020 to May 2022 because of concerns about the coronavirus.
Experience Passion Play 2022 with Nawas
If you missed out earlier, you still have a chance to see the amazing Passion Play in 2022. Space is filling very quickly and many dates are already sold out!
NAWAS has the LARGEST collection of Passion Play of Oberammergau 2022 Catholic Pilgrimage and Protestant tours. Our 16 exciting programs visit Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Rome & Italy, Poland & Eastern Europe, the Holy Land, Greece, and much more. Contact NAWAS for booking information and view more about Nawas’ Passion Play of Oberammergau programs here.
